Margate council greenlights seafront skatepark

Almost 1.5 million will be invested to improve the surrounding area.  Kristin Hawthorne reports.

Transcript

00:00Yesterday, a council meeting was held on whether or not to introduce a skate park to the Moorgate town

00:06and it seems like it will go ahead.

00:08The council have decided that they will retain ownership of the seafront site

00:12and aim to promote sustainability, safety and community involvement in the area with the new addition.

00:18They will collaborate with Moorgate Skate Club

00:20and hope that it inspires other towns in the district to follow in their footsteps.

00:25What it is, is that by putting a skate park in an area, it gives kids something to do.

00:30So rather than them going out and smashing windows, they might, they will get into skateboarding.

00:36Like giving kids something to do stops them becoming, you know, getting involved in social behaviour.

00:42Just having something where you can go to a skate park for like eight, twelve hours a day,

00:47skate all day, socialise, you know, it's good for your mental health, it's good for your physical health.

00:52And it's also good for like, you know, learning social skills

00:56and they become valuable later on when you, you know, work and stuff like that, you know.

01:02Efforts will be made to minimise carbon emissions and ensure the site is accessible and welcoming to all,

01:08aiming to foster inclusivity and reduce discrimination.

01:11From car parks to seafronts, this is where plans for the new skate park may go ahead.

01:18The project has funding of almost a million pounds and includes things like toilets and a new food area.

01:24And after speaking to some locals, it seems that many of them are excited and feel positive

01:29for the possibility of the new addition in this area.

01:32The skate park near where I live, and it works quite well, it's a focal point for the youth.

01:36It's good activity, it's outdoors, it's not a year-round thing,

01:40so you have to consider what's going to happen in the wintertime.

01:42It's a good idea to have them because it gives kids an outlet to, you know, express themselves

01:49and get into a hobby and go have somewhere to go rather than complaining that they've got nowhere to go.

01:55So yeah, go for it.

01:56Go for it, I say. It's only a good thing. Who knows, you might get an Olympian out of it.

02:00Exactly.

02:01As the town prepares for the possibility of the new arrival,

02:04it seems like they will be getting more than they bargained for,

02:07and added £35,000 to improve the surrounding area to help improve safety and wellbeing

02:13with improved lighting, railings and CCTV.

02:16Kristen Hawthorne, KMTV.